


On Fretful Wings

by CSpratt, MrCynical



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Blind Date, F/M, First Dates, Romance, Slice of Life, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, but also as, can largely be read platonically, contest prize
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:02:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26434618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CSpratt/pseuds/CSpratt, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrCynical/pseuds/MrCynical
Summary: "Hmm… I see. Out of the eight potential conjurers for this ritual of bonding, it was you who chose to summon me? I hadn't anticipated my summoner would be one of such seemingly feeble origins…”***As part of a Valentine's Day celebration for the class, Mikan has the misfortune of being tasked with arranging for a blind date between herself and a random classmate. Though she didn't know what to expect, she still found herself surprised by her mystery partner, in more ways than one.Written basically entirely by CSpratt with editing and contributions by MrCynical as Basicallymonkey101's prize for coming third place in the Blackened Skies Fanwork Contest! Congratulations!
Relationships: Tanaka Gundham/Tsumiki Mikan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32
Collections: Blackened Skies Fanworks Challenge Entries





	On Fretful Wings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Basicallymonkey101](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Basicallymonkey101/gifts).



“ _How could I be so stupid?”_

It was hardly a new thought for Mikan to have. Ever since she was a little girl, she had only ever managed to prove herself as a completely unlikeable individual, her only redeeming quality being her ability to help make other people feel better. Whether that took the form of healing those who were sick or injured (and thus even weaker than herself) or her ability to serve as a lightning rod for the negativity of others, taking whatever punishment she needed to make them feel better, or anything in between, it was the one aspect of herself she could look on with relative pride. However, though it was a thought that flew around in her mind at least once a day, she knew that it was more relevant today then most, as she stood in front of the café she had chosen for her date.

_“Ooh… what if there’s nothing they like here? What if my date hates me for it?”_

Date… she called it that, but it wasn’t due to someone wanting her around, not really. The whole thing was simply a class event that Chiaki had suggested for Valentine’s Day as a way to bring everyone closer together. The sleepy-eyed president had suggested that everyone draw a piece of paper from a hat, each of which was adorned with a number written in either red or black ink. From there, the people who had drawn red numbers then left the room and wrote a location and a time for the next day, which they then deposited in a bag that matched their number before returning to the class as those with black numbers went to see where they’d be meeting up with their red numbered counterpart the next day. And sure enough, on her scrap of paper, there was a red number five written on it.

“ _Why couldn’t I have just drawn a black number? At least then I would know they’d have a good time at the place they picked!_ ” Mikan miserably thought to herself, growing more convinced she’d made a terrible mistake with every second she spent looking at the building.

Secretly, she was hoping she would’ve been matched up with someone she already hung out with regularly. After all, they chose not to ignore her, so they couldn’t hate her, right? Yet, through a streak of horrible luck, Hiyoko, Ibuki, and Mahiru had all coincidentally gotten red numbers as well, meaning that none of them could’ve been the one to get the black number five that her partner had received. That, more than anything, was probably what truly scared Mikan the most: she didn’t know very much about most of her other classmates, so the possibility that they would hate spending time with her, or worse, would have no reaction to her whatsoever, gripped her heart in a terrified vise.

The very thought of it made her shudder more than the nipping cool February air ever could. The nurse wrapped her arms around herself as much for warmth as she did for some fleeting sense of comfort. It might not have been so bad if she could at least predict who her mystery partner could be, but after thirty minutes of thinking, she was no closer to the truth. The only person she’d seen with a partner on her way to the café was Ibuki, who seemed to be racing at top speed with Nekomaru down the street (likely as Ibuki’s choice of activity, given the musician’s boundless energy finally finding someone just as amped up to work off of), but aside from him, it could’ve been anyone. Fuyuhiko and his short temper, Nagito and his unsettling aura, Teruteru and his… _everything_... there was no shortage of possible people who’d react negatively to her decision. It didn’t help that she only remembered choosing this place because, at the time, going to a small outdoor café she frequented seemed like the greatest common denominator, a place that probably wouldn’t go terribly regardless of who she was with. Now, though...

A whimper escaped her. After a day of thinking it over, her mind managed to come up with no shortage of terrible possibilities. What if they had an allergy to the drink she ordered? What if a bird happened to relieve itself on or near them while they dined outside? What if she just couldn’t think of anything to say and annoyed them? What if they just flat out didn’t like her? What if-

_Beep beep! Beep beep!_

“Eeep!” Mikan nearly jumped out of her skin, the sudden sound of the alarm on her watch startling her out of her downward negative spiral as she let out a surprised yelp. Once the initial spike of adrenaline faded away, however, the same anxious dread from before returned even stronger than before. 

For better or worse, it was time for her scheduled date.

Moments passed as she stood there, paralyzed, questioning whether or not to go through with it and enter the cafe. This was her last chance to avoid possibly boring or even infuriating her partner with her presence; her last chance to come up with any excuse for not going and save them from having to spend time with her... but, at the same time, she was the one who set it up, right? Even if they didn’t know she was the one who they’d be spending that time with, they knew what they were getting themselves into. To be stood up by someone without even knowing who… how could she do something so horrible to someone?! She’d be heartbroken if their positions were reversed! Besides, it was just an hour of eating at a café! Even _she_ couldn’t ruin something that short, right?

…Right?

 _“No,”_ Mikan thought to herself, summoning the courage she had within her. _“If they’re willing to come over here in the first place, then it’s the least I can do to be there on time, too. Even if I make it worse, I… I will do everything I can to make this date okay for them!”_ She declared to herself, and with that, and one more deep breath, she finally took her steps into the serving area of the café.

***

After making a brief check in with someone at the front, she walked around towards where the tables were located. It was a familiar place to her, as it not only was quiet and out of the way from most directions, but also came with the added benefits of a couple of small trees where birds typically nested. Nearby resided a breathtaking view of a lake, the water glimmering brilliantly in the pale winter sun. Despite her fears, the sight of it calmed her heart, a frail phantom of a smile crossing her lips. It was an incredibly peaceful place, one that she could always count on in those rare instances where things got so bad that she actually _wanted_ to be alone; a place that provided her a brief moment of happiness and tranquility.

This time, however, she wasn’t here on her own. She had a partner to try to scope out, and even if she messed up, that had to take priority.

With that in mind, she briefly scanned the tables for anyone familiar. At first, she seemed to come up with nothing, as everyone there seemed to have a partner with them (in hindsight, she probably should’ve seen that coming; it was Valentine’s Day, after all), and none of them looked like people she knew. However, just before her mind could come to the conclusion that her date had somehow found out that it was her who had set up the date and bolted, she found someone she recognized. Sitting quietly in the back, sipping from a coffee mug while carefully examining a bird that had perched on one of his fingers was...

 _“G-Gundham…? H-he’s the one who got the black five?”_ Mikan thought to herself as she felt another anxiety-induced shudder run through her body. Although she had never really talked with Gundham much before, she couldn’t help but feel that he was a little bit scary. Between his dark wardrobe (which seemed to be even _darker_ now that he didn’t have to wear his uniform, with his long black jacket, purple scarf, and dark pants) and his loud boasting about being a denizen of evil, there was always something about him that made her more cautious around him than most. For a second, she even considered fleeing, worried about what might happen if she made him angry… only for a wave of guilt to hit her for even considering the idea.

“ _N-no, stop it! Scary or not, he came here to be here with you for this event… the least you can do is be there with him! A-and try your best to not mess it up!”_ She scolded herself, psyching herself up as she walked up to the table where he sat. Even despite steeling herself for it, she still couldn’t bring herself to walk up to him in a way that would make him aware of her presence. As such, she carefully took a back route towards his table, trying to make sure she was out of his line of sight as often as possible. It was all for naught however, as once she got close, the bird on his finger began tweeting, and almost immediately after, Gundham immediately opened up with his first ominous words of the encounter.

“Heheh… you thought you could pull a sneak attack on Gundham Tanaka, the Supreme Overlord of Ice? Ha! Weak, I say! Utilizing stealth against me is a fool’s errand when I have the power of the All Seeing Eye! Now, reveal your true form, fiend!” He boomed, causing Mikan to nearly curl backwards into herself as her eyes started watering and her mind began panicking.

“EEK! I-I’m sorry I snuck up on you! _Please don’t hate me_!!!” Mikan cried, causing Gundham to turn around towards her. For a second, she thought she saw a look of confusion on his face, only for it to vanish almost as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a look of contemplation.

"Hmm… I see. Out of the eight potential conjurers for this ritual of bonding, it was you who chose to summon me? I hadn't anticipated my summoner would be one of such seemingly feeble origins…” The Dark Lord rumbled, pausing for a moment as he gave the bird on his finger a gentle stroke. He continued before Mikan had a chance to apologize for being feeble, as he put it. “… and yet, your presence indicates some level of resolve hidden beneath your meek persona… keheheheh. Very well. If this is where the will of causality leads me, then I shall abide by its call for now. Have a seat Mikan, and let our ritual begin."

 _“O-Oh… that’s probably a good sign, right?”_ Mikan guessed, some of her deep anxiety leaving her body as the gothic boy spoke, albeit having much of it replaced by confusion. Not surprising; his typical method of talking never made much sense to her in the past, as every answer he’d give in class resulted in a minute long speech about monsters and such that flew right over her head. Still, he didn’t _seem_ to mind her being the one there, so that was probably better than most possibilities. Either way, even if a lot of the in-between details lost her, his request was surprisingly straight forward, so she quickly took a seat in the chair opposite of him.

“Kehehe… the contract has now been sealed. From this point forward, it is now on the summoner to state their will, be it for forbidden knowledge or devious actions. Now then mortal, what is your desire?” Gundham questioned, causing Mikan to accidentally flinch from the directness of his request. It was difficult to tell through his usual verbose descriptors, but she was pretty sure he was asking her to talk to him, right? Simple enough; she had memorized thousands of topics for this exact purpose, after all…

And yet, now that she had to actually talk to someone, all of them had seemed to dry up, her mind being left with nothing but a blank. Seconds passed without an answer, the air becoming thick from the awkwardness. _“O-oh no! C-come on, there has to be something...!”_ She panicked internally, her eyes beginning to fill up as her annoying whimpering began bubbling up from within her. How could she be failing this badly _again_? Why couldn’t she just talk like a normal person, instead of making someone else hate h-

_Tweet tweet!_

Mikan looked up from her tear ridden panic at the new sound to find a small bird had perched itself on Gundham’s finger. The breeder himself looked almost amused by its call as he smirked down at the creature.

“B-bird...” she forced out as she saw the creature chirp. It was an idiotic way to bring up a conversation, she was aware, but it was better then just sitting there silently, crying like a fool. Gundham glanced up to her with a hum, as if to ensure that he had indeed heard her correctly. Summoning every fiber of courage within her, she spoke up again. “W-well… it’s just the… bird. It’s… really pretty.” She lamely eleaborated, trying her hardest to avoid flinching at how dumb a statement that was. It wasn’t a particularly uncommon species; she saw it in the trees around this time of year at the cafe all the time anyway, but anything would probably be better than nothing.

To her surprise, Gundham seemed to find the statement pleasant, his eyes closing with a smile on his face. “Ah, another that sees the value in beasts beyond their rarity. Indeed, while not the sort of creature most would choose to domesticate due to their common nature, the birds in this area can nonetheless be quite enjoyable temporary companions if one is willing to understand them,” He gently stroked along its chin, the bird making an affirming chirp in response. “This one in particular made for a particularly suitable companion once I had formed a pact with him while waiting for my summoner to appear.” He mused, a level of fondness seeping into his usual dramatic tone.

Mikan felt some of her anxiety give way to joy. She was doing it; this was working! Slowly, she reached out to rub a finger on the bird as she had seen Gundham do earlier… only for the bird to fly away when her hand got close. 

Her joy shattered into anxious misery, tears once again filling her eyes. _“Oh no oh no oh no, not again!”_ She internally panicked. She was doing _so well_ , and now she just scared away Gundham’s little bird friend?! He’d hate her for sure after she did something as horrible as that! God, what was _wrong_ with her? “O-oh no! I’m sorrry! I didn’t mean to s-scare off your bird friend! I’m sorry for being so horrible! Feel free to hit me if you want!” She cried miserably, with her instinctual response to failure leaping to the forefront of her mind. It was the least she deserved after ruining everything so quickly. She closed her eyes and curled into herself, preparing herself for the strike he’d inevitably do…

... only to be surprised when she instead heard him speak in a strangely calm voice for the often boisterous man.  
  
“Hmmph. It is not at all surprising that you struggle with taming them. These birds are spawn of cherubs. As such, they are a notable challenge to bring to peace around me, as their heavenly aura serves as a natural deterrent to that of my darkened own.”   
  
Mikan froze, almost unable to believe the words. They were definitely a puzzle on their own, but even once she had figured out what he meant, it was strange to actually let sink in. “... H-huh? R-really?” She hesitantly asked as she finally opened her eyes and lowered her arms from her head.

Sure enough, Gundham nodded in turn. “Indeed; when enraptured by my aura, like you are via proximity, their instincts will naturally lean towards caution,” He hummed, a low chuckle rumbling forth from him as a look of determination flashed through his eyes. “However! There is no force that is so strong between beasts that it can fully prevent them from linking! Now listen well, as I show you how to get the messengers of the cherubs to obey your commands, even while shrouded by the atmosphere summoned by my blackened spirit!!”

“Y-you… don’t hate me for messing up?” She asked quietly, genuinely taken aback by the turn of events.

He smirked, once again humming in thought. “Your brash attempt was without a doubt foolhardy, but it was clearly born from inexperience as opposed to malice. It is for that reason I am willing to guide you to draw these sacred beasts to you, should you choose to accept the invitation.” He said, the confidence in his eyes all but daring her to refuse. Of course, Mikan wasn’t the type to do such a thing even when she didn’t want to go along with something, so she grabbed onto this lifeline for all it was worth.

“I-if it’s really o-okay, then… yes, please. I promise I’ll do my best!” She agreed with as much enthusiasm, getting a chuckle out of her dark companion.

“Then cleanse your ears of deception and listen well! In order to bring the Cherub’s messengers to your command, you must first make an offering to them. Fortunately, I have the proper tribute already prepared.” With that, he reached into his pocket and pulled out some seed before then placing it in Mikan’s trembling hand.

She looked curiously at the small offering, a strange yet comforting feeling in her palm. “Y-you had this p-prepared in advance?

Gundham bowed his head. “Indeed. After learning about where the ritual would be taking place, I immediately threw caution to the wind and scouted the location out, so as to prepare myself accordingly. But, that is besides the point. For your next step, spread a small selection of it out on the table and back away. This is to help ensure that the target is aware that they are not in immediate danger by going for your offering. Luckily, in a place where mortals typically congregate such as this, they are more likely to take risks they otherwise wouldn’t. So long as no sudden moves are made, its courage should hold.” 

Following Gundham’s advice, she tentatively spread some seed on the table and backed her chair up slightly. After a few moments of waiting, one of the birds flew from the tree towards the seed, stopping on the table to peck at it.

“Perfect. From here on out, make sure to speak quietly, so as not to frighten them; they are still small and somewhat skittish, after all,” Gundham cautioned, his voice low and carefully monitored compared to his usual theatrics. She slowly nodded. Learning how to keep quiet was one of the earliest skills she’d ever developed, hoping maybe everyone would hate her less if she didn’t bother them. It didn’t work, of course, but it was a skill she kept all the same. Heedless of Mikan’s thoughts, Gundham continued. “Now, once the seed is almost gone, quietly let out a whistle to grab the cherub spawn’s attention while placing some seed closer to yourself. This will help signify to this particular creature that you are not one to be feared.”

Mikan hesitated, the concept of whistling seeming positively alien with how long it had been since she’d ever tried it, but ultimately followed his instructions, softly whistling as she placed a bit of seed near the tiny bird. To her surprise, the bird immediately jumped closer, and after pecking at the seed for a bit, flew onto one of her fingers she had near the remaining birdseed. It took every bit of self-control she had to not gasp in delight from the sight of it.  
  
“Kehehe… it seems that your soft spirit has benefited you greatly in this task. Most humans wouldn’t be capable of forming a bond with a feathered being so quickly. Then again, beasts are often quite skilled at sensing intent from mortals like yourself,” Tanaka praised, the kind words making her heart soar in a way she’d never expected to feel around the imposing Ultimate. He carefully raised a finger up in demonstration. “Now, if you wish to see if you have formed a link with this particular cherub, slowly bring your other finger to it and lightly rub a finger down its head alongside its back. If a pact has been formed, it will choose to stay, at which point, celebrate your newfound temporary alliance with the last of your seed.”

Despite a small pit of worry forming at the implied possibility of rejection, Mikan carefully did as he said. To her utter amazement, it didn’t move as her finger gingerly trailed down its back. If anything, it seemed to welcome it, letting out a chirp as she did so. She looked up at Gundham in awe. She was doing it! She was really _doing_ _it_! Without saying a word, she spread the rest of her seed out with her other hand, at which point her new feathered friend hopped off her finger and pecked at the remains of the feast. The delight singing in her heart couldn’t be silenced any longer, a happy, stunned gasp escaping her. “O-oh my god… that was amazing! I-I can’t believe it just let me do that!”  
  
Gundham smiled confidently, a hint of pride in his voice as he spoke. “Indeed; though extremely timid by nature -doubly so when combined with my naturally evil aura- these messengers and their ilk tend to be quite gentle and open to interaction when provided with the proper motivation.”

“But still, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything be that happy around me! E-even if it’s just a bird, it’s so… nice!” Tsumiki giggled happily. Suddenly, his expression twitched, his mismatched eyes narrowing at her words. It was barely a furrow of the brow; most people would hardly even register it from how minute it was, but _she_ certainly did, and she had a feeling she knew why. Icy dread clasped her heart and tore it back down to the depths. She’d done the one thing that inevitably made people hate her: she made the conversation about herself. Not once had doing that ever resulted in anything but pain, and it would inevitably happen again here. She felt like she could cry at the thought alone. “Oh no… I-I’m so sorry! I accidentally made it about myself again… ooh… it was g-going so well, and I r-ruined it… I’m sorry...” The nurse pathetically whimpered as she curled into herself in a mix of misery and terror and the bird flew off with a startled chirp.

She was so absorbed in her fretful tears, in fact, that she didn’t spare a moment to consider what Gundham was _actually_ thinking of the whole thing. She didn’t notice in the slightest how he stared at her in a mix of confusion, annoyance, and slight sympathy. On the one hand, he couldn’t deny that part of him was annoyed by her casual downplaying of an animal’s significance for the mere nature of its existence and then suddenly broke into a quivering mess over literally nothing. He had little patience for the weak that refused to better themselves, as it was their fate to perish in service of nature’s greater goals.

However… there was something about her statement that hit a nerve. After all, as a spawn of evil himself, he was well acquainted with the concept of living a life of hatred as mankind’s supreme enemy. In his case, he had managed to find a calling from the beasts around him. For her, however… it seemed she struggled to even acquire this much. While it was obvious she was far below the needed level of power to even attempt to handle someone like himself, it seemed there was little harm that could be done in offering her the potential out that he had found. After all, it would be difficult for forbidden knowledge to cause much damage to one that already seemed broken. Thus, with that justification in mind, he began his efforts to revitalize her frail spirit.

“... Judging from your consistent crumbling at even the slightest sign of faux pas, it seems you have trouble with humans, yes?” Gundham began.

Shakily, Mikan looked up at the man in black and spoke. “W-well… umm… I g-guess so. M-most people don’t l-like it when I’m around… b-but I try my b-best to be useful for them anyway!” Mikan quickly explained. It wouldn’t be good if he misunderstood her as some sort of misanthrope and hated her more for it. “L-like, for example, I can be a dart board, o-or a canvas, or do some really good sea turtle impressions, or...”

“Enough, you have made your point,” Gundham cut her off, just as quickly continuing to speak before she had a chance to let off another pitiful apology session. “I’m not one to judge another’s chosen life path, though I will say that I was never one to find much need for solidarity amongst mortals. It’s part of what gave me knowledge on how to tame the hearts of beasts.”

“H-huh? I-it… did?” Mikan asked, as some of the heaviness and worry in her heart gave way to curiosity.

Tanaka hummed, closing his eyes. “Indeed. Having been born to an angel and a demon, I was shunned from both worlds, and was left to wander aimlessly in the world of mortals. It is a fickle land; one where opinions and morality can change on a whim. Judging by what you have told me, it seems you are more familiar with that than most, are you not?”

“U-um… you mean like how people sometimes suddenly decide that more punishment is needed then they thought?” Mikan asked shyly, flinching a bit when the implications of her statement seemed to make Gundham’s face darken a bit.  
  
“...I suppose that is one example of mankind’s fickle nature…” He murmured, something indeterminable in his voice before it returned to something closer to his usual tone. “I chose my escape from it by surrounding myself with the many exotic beasts that roam this world. I find it surprising that one with as seemingly gentle a spirit as your own would be so willing to kowtow to beings like humans who will turn on you on a whim.”  
  
Mikan grimaced at that, shaking her head and squeezing her hands together pleadingly.“D-don’t get me wrong! I like animals too! B-but… it’s just… I was never allowed to have a pet or anything, and I scare most of the wild ones away, y’know? I mean… I g-guess that’s true with some people as well, b-but at least with them, I k-know there’s something I can do to make them give me a chance… every time I’m near an animal, I only s-scare it...”

Silence fell over the pair for a long moment, the breeder stone faced in thought. Mikan was mortified she might have said something else to offend him, but just as she intended to apologize, he spoke once more. “... Do you wish to learn how you can prevent that?”  
  
Her eyes widened, meeting his in disbelief. “H-huh?”  
  
Gundham crossed his arms. “While there are a myriad of beasts who would interpret your natural… lack of threatening demeanor as an easy target, there are also many smaller ones who would be drawn to such in more positive ways. And since you seemed to get so much out of the bird from earlier… well, one hardly needs the All Seeing Eye to imagine how more of that might make for a worthwhile expedition for our ritual event.”

Mikan stared at him for a long moment, a familiar, dangerous sense of hope flickering in her heart. “D-do you… r-really mean that? Do you think s-someone like me can… r-really not scare them?” She asked softly, afraid that it would somehow prove all for naught. The Overlord of Ice simply turned to the side.

“I know not how other beasts would react. Assuming you complete your pacts properly, it will ultimately come down to each individual creature’s jurisdiction. However, if thou art willing to learn, I am willing to provide some of the dark secrets behind the forbidden art of communicating with the beasts.”

Tsumiki could only gaze at him in wide eyed shock, the very idea of animals not only not running from her, but even actively _wanting_ her around being something her mind seemed to have trouble believing. But... if there was even a chance of that being possible, then…

“I-if you’re okay with tolerating me… then, y-yes, I think I’d like that very much. T-thank you.” She said softly, her voice quiet as she tried to process the tantalizing idea of having someone who wouldn’t flee from her without her having to do favors for them first. 

Gundham, in complete contrast to her, let out a verbose laugh in response. “Ha! How interesting! So fate has offered a potential beast speaker onto me, has it? Very well! If thou art willing to learn, then I shall grant you but a taste of my power!” He boomed, only to suddenly interrupt his verbose decree as he paused to take a sip from his coffee cup on the table. “... Right after I have finished drinking the liquified fruits of Demeter’s labor. Even a Dark Lord such as myself requires some level of sustenance to maintain my power. This mortal shell confines my unholy spirit to mortal needs, in the end. Although... now that I take a look at it, it seems that you haven't anything to drink for yourself. I suggest you remedy that, unless you’re willing to risk being burned to nothing by the light of Amaterasu whilst learning my secrets.”

Mikan blinked, looking down at the table and suddenly realizing that she’d managed to forget to order something in her panic. “O-oh! R-right! Um, I’ll get on that right away! Th-thank you for reminding me!” She squeaked out, embarrassed to have made yet _another_ screw up during this whole ordeal… but, for some reason, it didn’t feel as mortifying as before. In fact, as she quickly scurried from the table to place her order, she actually felt kind of… nice. Rather than the sickening and overwhelming sense of unease that usually accompanied such a mistake, it felt light. Almost ticklish, in a way. What was that phrase Ibuki would use from time to time? Butterflies in her stomach? Yes, that sounded right for what she was feeling.

That feeling only rose when she glanced back at Tanaka to find the bird had returned to him, comfortably perched on his finger while he smiled at it with a warmth she’d rarely seen on his fierce features before. She felt her own lips start to quirk up at the sight. _“He seemed so scary, but… he’s actually really, really nice. Maybe… maybe things could be okay around him…”_ She thought to herself. A moment later, he turned to her with that smile, and she thought the world stopped for a moment. Not knowing how to respond, she gave an awkward and meek wave that made her feel like an idiot the moment after she did so, but the small twitch up of his lips felt like the best gift she could ever have gotten.

_“Maybe… things could even be better than okay.”_

**Author's Note:**

> So... yeah. I dunno why, but this requested prompt really clicked with me, and as a result, I wrote almost all of this out within a couple days. Hope you enjoyed this little blind date between these two! It was a pretty fun one to write!  
> -CSpratt


End file.
